frequently asked questions
How long is the voyage?
100 days + orientation/training:How many people are on the boat?
January 29th – I board with the Administrative Team in Ft. Lauderdale
January 31st – Faculty/Staff board in Nassau
February 4th – Students board in Nassau & we set sail
May 14th – Ship returns to San Diego
May 15th – I return to C-Ville
About 750. That number includes students, faculty and staff, “life-long learners” (adult passengers/continuing ed.), and officers & crew.Is it called a boat?
Nope, it’s a ship and we’re going on a voyage, not a cruise.Where’s Mauritius?
Southwest of India – see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauritius. It’s an island.Is the library really in the casino/bar?
Yup.Do you really have to crawl under the bar to get behind the circulation desk?
(Photo courtesy of Barbie, our summer voyage librarian & the first one of us to go)
Yup.Why don’t they just fix the bar to make a passageway or install a hinge-thing?
(that’s Barbie)
Although some librarians have reported jumping over the bar instead.
Because the Institute for Shipboard Education, who runs the program, doesn’t own the ship. They don’t like making alterations to the ship.Is there a laundromat?
No, laundry is not self-serve. There is a service that you pay for. $5/bag.How about housekeeping?
Yes, there is housekeeping, it’s like a hotel.What’s the weather where you are going?
According to http://worldclimate.org average temperatures are:Who’s taking care of your animals?
nassau, bahamas ..... february ..... 69
san juan, puerto rico ..... february ..... 82
salvador, brazil ..... february ..... 79.5
cape town, south africa ..... march ..... 68
port louis, mauritius ..... march ..... 84
chennai, india ..... march ..... 91
penang, malaysia ..... april ..... 81
ho chi min city, vietnam ..... april ..... 83
hong kong ..... april ..... 71
beijing, china ..... april ..... 56
qindao, china ..... april ..... 50.9
kobe, japan ..... april ..... 58.1
honolulu, hawaii ..... may ..... 77
The ship is described as cold & dry.
I have a great dog/cat/housesitter (Ashley) who my animals love & who has stayed with them many times before. I will, however, miss them very very much.Who’s going to do your job?
One of my staff will become interim department head (Annette) and she will be fabulous & wonderful.What does your staff think?
My staff (and my boss!) have been amazing & supportive and several of them also hope to go on this adventure. I very much hope they will also have the opportunity.Do you really get your normal UVA salary?
Yes.How did you get picked?
I responded to a call for volunteers. Quickly.How much time do you spend in port?
Roughly 5-6 days in each location, though Hawaii for example, is just one day. About 55% of the trip is spent at sea & 45% in port.How long does it take to cross the ocean?
Salvador, Brazil to Cape Town, South Africa is 9 days.Do you get seasick?
Kobe, Japan to Honolulu, Hawaii is 8 days.
No, I'm usually ok. I went to Alaska a couple of years ago on a cruise & I was fine. And I've been on a number of other boats from time to time. They say sea-sickness is hard to avoid when the waters are rough, though, so we'll find out!Do you have a roommate?
No, faculty & staff don’t have roommates (unless families are traveling together). Otherwise, only students have roommates.Are you the only librarian?
No, the fall & spring voyages have an assistant librarian. Sherri Barnes is the assistant this voyage. She is the Humanities Collection Coordinator at UC Santa Barbara. Sherri & I serve together on the ACRL Women’s Studies Section & so we know each other a little. She is known for her project: Black American Feminisms: A Multidisciplinary Bibliography @ http://www.library.ucsb.edu/subjects/blackfeminism/ I’m looking forward to working with her! We’ll additionally have 5 or 6 workstudy students.How many volumes does the library have?
About 9,000.What’s in the collection?
The collection is largely an eclectic mix of titles requested over the years for course reserves. The classes taught aren’t necessarily the same from voyage to voyage. There are also ready-reference materials, travel guides, DVDs (both recreational & documentaries), and maps. UVA will focus on collection development as the voyages proceed. We are also providing access to the entire suite of electronic resources available through the UVA Library.What are the working hours?
The library is open 0800-2300 all the days that the ship is at sea and is closed when the ship is at port. On previous voyages, one librarian has often worked 0800-1600 & the other 1600-2300, though there are also other models. Sherri & I haven’t figured that out yet. (You’ll notice I’m practicing my 24-hour time …)How’s the Internet access?
Not good. It’s satellite & has been described as slow-dialup & is often unavailable when the seas are rough or when you are at port & the satellite signal is blocked by a larger ship.Are you worried about Internet withdrawal?
Yes. Very very very much so. Though I have slow-dialup at my home in rural Virginia, so I’m hoping that’s some preparation … stay tuned …Are you ready to go?
NO! ... but, I imagine I will be by January 29th. Wish me luck.
